The level of engine oil directly affects the lifespan of a car engine. Whether there is too little or too much engine oil, it can lead to malfunctions and affect the performance of the vehicle.

According to surveys, many people tend to overfill or add oil beyond the recommended level when performing an oil change, thinking “more is better than less”. However, too much of anything is not good. Pouring excessive oil, exceeding the prescribed amount each time you change it, can have unforeseen consequences. Let’s explore the serious consequences of overfilling engine lubricating oil together with Miennampetro, let’s follow along!

1. The Importance of Engine Oil for Car Engines

Car engine oil not only serves as a lubricant, making the piston move up and down smoothly in the cylinder but also has other functions such as:

Cooling – When the car engine operates, a large amount of heat is generated from the combustion process of fuel. Thanks to the continuous circulation process, engine oil helps in cooling, preventing the engine from overheating or piston burning.
Cleaning – The natural combustion process of fuel will produce residues deposited in the engine. The next function of engine oil is to carry away and clean these deposits.
Sealing – When the engine is running, the engine oil acts as a soft, shapeless cushion, sealing the gaps between the piston and the cylinder wall to prevent the pressure generated during the fuel combustion process from leaking out.
Rust prevention – The surfaces of metal components in the engine are coated with a thin film of engine oil that limits contact with air, preventing oxidation leading to rust.

The engine is composed of many metal components such as pistons, camshafts, valves… When the engine is running, the frictional force between these parts is significant. The oil pump system sprays engine oil into every nook and cranny inside the engine to form a smooth cushion on the contact surface between the components, reducing frictional force and increasing operational efficiency. At the same time, limiting direct contact between components helps minimize wear on metal surfaces, serving to protect and prolong the life of the engine.
To obtain an effective lubrication solution for the car engine system, lubricant manufacturers have had to invest a lot of time and effort to research suitable and best products. They must meet international standards and meet the strict requirements of car manufacturers.

With economic and social development, cars nowadays operate under increasingly harsh conditions, and demands for durability are rising. Therefore, car engine oil becomes more crucial, using the right type of oil for your engine can maximize protection in demanding operating conditions.

With that mindset, every time it comes to an oil change cycle, consumers tend to deliberately pour in a little extra oil. Intending to protect the car better. Without realizing that it’s a taboo that can cause significant damage to the car engine.

2. The “Bitter” Consequences of Overfilling Engine Oil

Pouring excess lubricating oil into the car engine usually only causes engine overheating in cases of slight overfilling. However, if there is too much excess, it can have unforeseen consequences. Specifically, pouring excess engine oil can cause the following harms:

Excess engine oil leads to engine overheating
When pouring too much, exceeding the prescribed amount in the instruction manual, the excess oil has nowhere to flow. Therefore, when the engine is running, the crankshaft rotates, and that excess oil will mix with air. And the phenomenon of foaming appears. Foamy engine oil cannot lubricate the engine parts effectively.
This situation gradually leads to engine overheating, and even gradually damages the parts inside the car engine.

Excess engine oil can seep into the combustion chamber causing blue smoke
If there is too much engine oil and it does not leak, this excess oil will bubble up into the combustion chamber and burn with gasoline, causing blue smoke due to burning engine oil. If not detected and corrected early, this condition can lead to clogged air filters and turbocharger failure for vehicles using a turbocharging system.
Engine block cracks
The engine block seals the gaps between components. When pouring too much oil, exceeding the endurance threshold of the cylinder head, it will create pressure that cracks and fractures the gaskets. Oil leaks occur. When these gaskets are cracked and open, it causes oil shortages. Shortening your oil change cycle, forcing you to constantly change or add new oil.

Excess engine oil can cause the connecting rod and crankshaft to bend and break
Not only does water overflow into the engine cause breaking and bending of the connecting rod, but even the excessive resistance from the excess oil can make the connecting rod and crankshaft experience more friction when in contact with oil. This can cause them to bend and, more seriously, can cause engine failure.

Pouring too much engine oil will overflow through the breather tube, causing environmental pollution
Excessive oil will increase the pressure inside the crankcase, which can cause oil to overflow through the breather tube. The role of this breather tube is to help draw out oil vapor from the crankcase and reduce the pressure created by the piston’s up-and-down movement. Instead of venting oil vapor out, this tube redirects oil vapor back into the combustion chamber through the air intake. In cases of too much oil in the crankcase, the oil can flow back through this tube, entering the combustion chamber through the air intake. The consequence is that the air intake gets clogged due to oil residue.

Pouring excess engine oil can cause clutch slippage
There are seals at the ends of the connecting rod to prevent engine oil from leaking out of the engine. If the engine is filled with too much oil, the excessive amount of oil will increase the pressure inside the engine. As a result, the engine oil inside the engine will exert a large pressure on the seals at the ends of the connecting rod, these gaskets are thin and can easily cause oil to leak out of the engine.

According to automotive maintenance experts, the more dangerous thing that can happen here is that the engine oil can overflow through the flywheel and cause clutch slippage.

3. How to Deal with Excessive Oil Pouring

Pouring excess engine oil into a car will lead to serious damage to the vehicle. Therefore, when pouring oil into a car engine, pay attention to the following:

Before pouring oil, consult the owner’s manual to know how much oil your “beloved” car needs.
While pouring oil, use a dipstick to check the oil level in the reservoir.
If you have poured too much oil, you need to remove the excess immediately by using a 3 to 4-inch wrench and a small basin. Bend down under the car, find the oil drain plug, loosen the drain plug to let the oil flow out. Before that, remember to place the oil pan underneath the drain plug. Next, you have to wait for the excess oil to flow out and then tighten the plug back as usual.
The task is not difficult, it just takes a little extra time to handle. But it can help avoid certain risks.

>> CAN I MIX OLD AND NEW ENGINE OIL?

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